EigenLayer
Staking · Restaking · EIGEN
EigenLayer (EigenCloud) is the pioneering restaking protocol: ETH stakers and LST holders restake to extend cryptoeconomic security to Actively Validated Services (AVSs) in exchange for additional rewards.
Restaking — reuse staked ETH to secure new services.
Total staked
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Research
Components, facts, FAQ, timeline, and tokenomics in one place
Main components (5)
Restaking core (EigenLayer protocol)
A set of Ethereum smart contracts that let stakers 'restake' ETH or liquid staking tokens to extend Ethereum's economic security to other applications. Restakers opt in by delegating to operators, who in turn secure Actively Validated Services (AVSs).
Actively Validated Services (AVSs)
Applications and services (data availability layers, oracles, bridges, coprocessors, etc.) that consume restaked security. AVSs define operational conditions and Service Level Agreements enforced economically via slashing.
Operators
Node operators who receive delegated restake from stakers and run the off-chain software required by the AVSs they opt into. Operators are the entities subject to slashing if they fail to meet AVS commitments.
EIGEN token
The protocol's work token, designed to complement ETH restaking by handling 'intersubjective faults' — misbehavior not objectively provable on-chain. Its core mechanism is 'intersubjective forking,' allowing EIGEN to fork without forking Ethereum mainnet.
EigenCloud (EigenDA / EigenVerify / EigenCompute)
A developer platform announced in 2025 that packages EigenLayer's verifiability primitives into unified services: EigenDA (data availability), EigenVerify (dispute resolution) and EigenCompute (execution), letting developers build apps with on-chain trust guarantees for off-chain computation.
Differentiator
Created the restaking primitive; the largest pool of restaked security and the base layer most LRTs build on.
Organizational structure
Units & roles
- Core developer
Eigen Labs
The company (founded 2021 by Sreeram Kannan) that builds the EigenLayer protocol and the EigenCloud platform. Raised its Series A and Series B rounds under the Eigen Labs entity.
- Ecosystem steward / foundation
Eigen Foundation
An independent, shareholder-less entity dedicated to accelerating growth of the EigenLayer ecosystem, stewarding protocol development, the EIGEN token, research, grants and decentralization efforts.
Investment rounds
| Date | Round | Amount | Investors | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-08-01 | Seed | $14.5M | Polychain CapitalEthereal Ventures | Source |
| 2023-03-28 | Series A | $50M | Blockchain CapitalElectric CapitalPolychain CapitalHack VCFinality Capital PartnersCoinbase Ventures | Source |
| 2024-02-22 | Series B | $100M | a16z crypto | Source |
| 2025-06-17 | Token deal (EigenCloud) | $70M | a16z crypto | Source |
Similarity to traditional finance products
How EigenLayer maps onto established TradFi structures, and where it diverges.
| TradFi product | Similarity to EigenLayer | Key differences |
|---|---|---|
| Reinsurance / shared collateral pools | Like reinsurance, restaking lets one pool of capital (staked ETH) underwrite the security of many separate services simultaneously, improving capital efficiency. | EigenLayer's guarantees are enforced automatically by on-chain slashing rather than legal contracts, and the underwriting capital is pooled crypto stake that can be burned for misbehavior. |
Data sources
- Eigen Foundation — EIGEN token & Season 1 stakedrop announcement
- EigenCloud Blog — Slashing Goes Live on Mainnet
- The Block — a16z crypto invests $70M in EIGEN / EigenCloud
- The Defiant — EigenLayer raises $100M Series B led by a16z
- CoinDesk — EigenLayer raises $50M Series A (and $14.5M seed)
- EigenCloud docs — Security audits